Decoding the Contemporary Indian Art Scene

p/p pandnbsp;/p pAs the season of art fairs and fests kicks off at full throttle, we check on the palpable spirit and the state of contemporary art today./p pandnbsp;/p pThe Indian art scene is in focus-and for all the right reasons. There is renewed energy coming through, with various art festivals, fairs and the much touted Kochi Biennale claiming centre stage even in the international art frat. The work being done by private individuals and institutions is gaining momentum, though much remains to be done, especially by the government./p pandnbsp;/p pAbhay Maskara, Curatorial Director of Gallery Maskara explains, "There has always been a lot happening, the galleries have played a prominent role in supporting new art, but only over the past decade has it become a lot more visible. There is a general euphoria and people are looking at art with renewed energy and passion because they think it is a good investment or because buying art is considered fashionable."/p pandnbsp;/p pstrongOpportunities, For A Few/strongbr /It is only when art becomes a movement, supported by its citizens, institutions and government that it will truly break through the ranks. The art ecosystem in India can be reflective of the larger state of the country and the economy-developing in every sense. Lately, we are seeing some great energy through the Kochi Biennale, India/p pandnbsp;/p pArt Fair, art auctions, gallery weekends, festivals, art nights and more; more opportunities than ever before are opening the doors for art lovers./p pandnbsp;/p pLondon-based new media artist Shubha Taparia explains, "More fairs and events just mean there's something for everyone, both for collectors as well as the artists. Although I find that some fairs in India lack any serious vetting and take on the form of a weekend bazaar, the collateral events are very interesting."/p pandnbsp;/p pSubodh Kerkar, artist, activist and founder-director of Museum Contemporary art in India is still for the elite. Whether you are any artist, not more than a fraction of India has heard of you. All contemporary art activities are in English-spoken by a handful in India. On a side note, the Museum of Goa is the largest private art space in India./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongInstitution Talk/strongbr / According to Maskara, institutionally we are far behind. "The public policy around the arts is antiquated. There is some level of government intervention in preserving our architectural heritage but contemporary art is left in the hands of the private holders. Even at the national gallery level, there is hardly any budget for acquisitions to make any difference. We cannot afford to lose moments of history in art and culture." Further the limited number of public institutions that operate in this area also seem to operate in a silo focusing on specific form of the arts-literature music, dance, and so on-rather than the arts in a holistic sense./p pandnbsp;/p pDevelopment of the arts in India has been propelled by private individuals who have a passion and interest in matters of art. Private collectors are doing their bit for contemporary art. A great example is the privately owned Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi./p pandnbsp;/p pThanks to this interesting arrangement, the role of a private gallery is very different in India than in the West. Young artist Shrina Patel explains, "All of us go knocking on the doors of galleries for support, resources and contacts. There are no public institutions we can hope to get help from. Conversely, galleries in the West play a very commercial role of only showing art considered to be saleable."/p pandnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"/p p style="text-align: center;"emUntitled, an oil by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924-2001), sold for INR 29,30,25,000 (US$44,16,502) in 2015/em/p pandnbsp;/p pstrongWhat Can Be Done? /strongbr /The onus is now firmly on the government to lend a hand of support. Maskara believes, "The government's thrust should not just be on economic policy, it is time for them to do their bit for art and commit significant resource and investment for its preservation and growth. Forward looking governments understand that if art and cultural aspects are not in place, the city is not an attractive place to do business-after nine-to-five jobs, people flock to places of cultural engagement." The charm also lies in taking art outside of its limited areas of influence to the masses. This should not be a challenge-Indian culture and festivals have traditionally always celebrated art. We have a rich history of folk art and craft and people are well accustomed to it./p pandnbsp;/p pKerkar explains, "It is sad that most Indian cities do not even have a museum of contemporary art! Promotion of art should be done in the vernacular languages as well. We need a cultural literacy program that focusses on all the arts. In my opinion, understanding of the arts makes a plural society." The appreciation of art comes when an individual is exposed to it from his/her early years. "The trick is in experiencing art through the growing up years. Art has no age, even a kindergarten child will find meaning based on his/her own interpretation. That way, as an adult, art is a way of life and no special effort needs to be made to inculcate appreciation," explains artist Vera Saiko. Art has to be a continued part of the education system that credits towards a degree at the university level. For example, even an engineering college should offer an optional art and history subject./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongGlobal Talk /strongbr /Maskara claims, "Unfortunately, India doesn't have an infrastructure to be globally relevant. However, the Kochi Biennale is a pivotal development. India is suddenly on the map with this international platform for art. It provides an impetus for contemporary discourse and dialogue to happen." There are lots of artists showing abroad and international artists exhibiting in India, so the process of cross pollination is definitely happening. We are living in a hyperglobal era and artists in India are connected across the world. The roots may be Indian, but the concerns and expressions are global./p pandnbsp;/p pTaparia signs off, "Given the huge potential based on the size and diversity of a country like India, its contribution to the global art market is negligible. I have been living in London for the past 15 years, and with a few exceptions, the common perception of Indian art is that often it is too literal and direct, both visually and in terms of content. In a country that's in such a transitionary phase, it is hard for art not to be politically driven, but it doesn't have to be direct necessarily; personally, a metaphorical language is more appealing." So let's don our artist's cap, bring out the inner artist and make our lives artistically rich./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongMore On andgt;andgt; a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.luxpresso.com/lifestyle/art-auctions" target="_blank"Art andamp; Auctions/a/strong/p

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